Date of Award

Spring 2026

Language

English

Embargo Period

4-9-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Educational Policy and Leadership

Program

Educational Policy and Leadership

First Advisor

Kristen Wilcox

Committee Members

Kathryn Schiller, Teniell Trolian

Keywords

Higher Education, Disability, Identity, College Transition, First-Year Experience, Accessibility

Subject Categories

Disability and Equity in Education | Higher Education

Abstract

As students with disabilities enroll in college at increasing rates, higher education institutions (HEIs) are challenged to consider students with disabilities’ unique needs. Student development theory informs higher education policy and practice but lacks disability perspectives. As such, this study was designed to narrow gaps in disability literature and supplement student development theory with a needed disability perspective. Through an examination of how participants categorized their self-identities and identities as college students, this study investigated students with disabilities’ identity development and its impact on their college transition.

Utilizing qualitative interviews, 12 students with disabilities (SWDs) were prompted to share their perspectives about their identity development, describe their experiences with disability and detail their college transition experiences. Using a combination of open, apriori and axial coding methods, an abductive analysis process was conducted to identify unifying themes and outlying experiences pertaining to participants’ disability identity and college transition experiences. A conceptual framework combining Chickering’s (1969) Vectors of Student Development and Gill’s (1997) levels of integration informed the analysis.

The findings provided evidence of connections between students with disabilities’ identity development and their college transition experiences. Specifically, participants possessing a stronger disability identity were better prepared for their transition than those who either were diagnosed later in life or had yet to accept their disability. Additionally, this study found that participants were equipped to handle academic expectations but struggled because college environments lacked the structure they relied on throughout their K-12 experience. Complex accommodation systems further complicated the transition process as participants navigated new educational environments while learning how to manage disability-related symptoms and challenges. In addition, the findings provided evidence that participants struggled to actively engage in their campus community as they were left with little time and energy to expend after taking measures to manage their disability. Lastly, forming connections with the disability community proved impactful as SWDs navigated their college transition experiences.

This research adds to the literature on disability identity development, drawing connections between timing and knowledge of diagnosis and disability identity through students with disabilities’ college transition. This study found that college transition acted as a catalyst for the development of disability identity. This study also adds perspective to the literature focusing on accommodations, finding that many participants opted to utilize informal accommodations rather than navigate burdensome accommodation systems. And, while literature on SWDs’ experiences often focuses on barriers and deficits, this study demonstrated that SWDs can be high achieving academically but struggle outside of the classroom.

This study offers practical recommendations that higher education institutions can consider to foster students with disabilities’ success. First, HEIs can establish scaffolding strategies to promote self-advocacy during the first semester to mitigate the lack of campus environment structure. Scaffolding can consist of ensuring accommodation systems are easy to navigate and offering support for disability-related challenges not typically addressed by formal accommodations. Second, HEIs can proactively encourage SWDs’ involvement on campus by ensuring events are free of accessibility barriers, facilitating connections among SWDs to foster community building and educating all students about disability-related challenges and available resources to reduce disability-related stigma and encourage those SWDs who are hesitant to seek assistance.

License

This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.

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